Eeg monitor with capacitive electrodes and method of monitoring brain waves

ABSTRACT

A wearable EEG monitor for continuously monitoring the EEG of a user through capacitive coupling to an ear canal of a user includes an ear insert ( 1 ) for positioning within the human ear canal, having at least two capacitive electrodes ( 16 ) for recording a signal. The electrodes are coated with a dielectricum for electrical insulation. The electrodes are connected to an amplifier ( 17 ). The amplifier has an input impedance matched to the impedance of the electrodes. The invention further provides a method of monitoring brain waves.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/187,705, filed Feb. 24, 2014, which is acontinuation-in-part of International application No. PCT/EP2011064544,filed on Aug. 24, 2011, published as WO-A1-2013026481, and incorporatedby reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an EEG monitor. The invention, morespecifically, relates to a wearable EEG monitor adapted for continuouslymonitoring the EEG response of a user. The invention further provides amethod of monitoring brain waves.

2. The Prior Art

It is generally known, particularly within medical science, toinvestigate brain waves by placing electrodes on the scalp of a subject,whose brain waves it is desired to measure, processing and interpretingthe detected brain waves using suitable equipment. Typically, suchequipment is an electroencephalograph, by means of which a so-calledelectroencephalogram (EEG) may be achieved. Such an EEG provides ameasurement and recording of electrical activity in a subject's brainobtained by measuring the electric potential generated on the surface ofthe subject's scalp by currents flowing between synapses in thesubject's brain. Within medical science EEG's are used for variousdiagnostic purposes.

A system for such a use is known from WO-A1-2006/047874, which describesmeasurement of brain waves by use of electrodes placed in connectionwith at least one of the ears of the subject, i.e. placed on an outerear part or placed in the ear canal. The measurements are usedparticularly for detecting the onset of an epileptic seizure.WO-A1-2006/047874 also describes the use of electrodes in pairs, asdetection and reference electrodes respectively, such a setup being wellknown in the field of electroencephalography.

Many known systems, like an electrode cap, use electrochemicalelectrodes with a conductive gel. The need for a conductive gel makessuch systems rather unattractive to use in public, because theconductive gel is greasy and not confined to the area covered by theelectrode. Furthermore the conductive gel is likely to short-circuit theelectrodes, if they are placed in close proximity of each other.Therefore these known systems need spacing between the electrodes,leading to a large and bulky device for monitoring the EEG.

Another disadvantage of known electrochemical EEG electrode is thedifficulty in creating a reliable conductive pathway from the skin ofthe user, to the electrode. Even when using a conductive gel, theelectrical path may still be poor, due to the moist, dirt and hair atthe skin of the user. This is especially a problem when the monitor isto be used for longer periods of time, where the user is active and issubjected to a non-laboratory environment, i.e. dirt, moist etc.

The known systems for measuring brain waves are generally complicated touse and require qualified personnel to operate, or require surgery toplace the electrodes, and even when placed properly, there are stilllarge variations in the recorded EEG, due to variations in theelectrical coupling. Furthermore, some systems require large amounts ofpower to charge the input transistors of the amplifier. Despite thepotential in continuous surveillance of users' EEG response in manydifferent areas of medicine and physical science, the systems known areconfined to laboratory use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, in a first aspect, provides an EEG monitor forcontinuously monitoring the EEG of a user through capacitive coupling toan ear canal of a user, said EEG monitor comprising at least twocapacitive electrodes adapted for recording a signal, the electrodesbeing coated with a dielectricum for electrical isolation of theelectrode, an amplifier connected to the electrodes for amplification ofthe electrode signals, wherein the amplifier has an input impedancematched to the impedance of the electrodes, and an ear insert forpositioning within the human ear canal, at least one of said electrodesbeing placed at said ear insert.

The proposed ear insert is easy to use and can be used on a day-to-daybasis. Because the proposed system uses electrodes that couplecapacitively with the skin, the variations in electrical connection arereduced. The ear insert can be placed in the ear by the user, withouthelp from trained personnel. The ear insert furthermore has theadvantage that it can operate on batteries or another small independentpower source, as it uses approximately 1 mW.

The ear insert records the EEG of the user. By use of advancedstatistics and machine learning techniques, abnormalities or specificchanges in patterns in the EEG can be characterized. This may be usedfor monitoring or determining neurologic disorders, or neurogenerativediseases, and this can be used for e.g. warning a person or a relativeabout an impending epilepsy seizure, a hypoglycemic attack etc.

The ear insert may further be used for improving the treatment ofdementia, by tracking specific changes in the EEG. Other areas of use isdiagnosis and rehabilitation of sleep disorders, prevention,rehabilitation and treatment evaluation of psychiatric and emotionaldisorders, fatigue detection, and as part of a brain-computer-interface.

The connection between the electrodes and the amplifier comprises asignal wire and a shield.

The amplifier may be located within the ear insert.

The amplifier may be an Auto-Zero-Amplifier having a high inputimpedance, such that the corner frequency may be as low as 1 Hz.

The amplifier may comprise a sample-and-hold circuit for keeping theshield at a potential close to that of the signal wire.

The ear insert may comprise a test circuit for testing the capacitiveconnection, having a signal generator for generating a signal with afrequency outside the frequency range intended to measure.

The ear insert may comprise a signal processor which may be located at abehind-the-ear device comprising the battery or other power supplymeans.

The ear insert may be made of a flexible material that adapts to theshape of the ear canal.

The electrodes may be fixed to an inner non-flexible part of the earinsert, covered with an outer flexible part, which conforms to the shapeof the ear canal. A reference electrode can be located outside the earcanal, e.g. in the concha or at the skull next to the ear.

The electrodes are in an embodiment distributed evenly over thecircumference of the ear insert.

In an embodiment the electrode is double curved, thus conforming betterto the shape of the ear canal.

The invention, in a second aspect, provides a method of monitoring brainwaves comprising arranging a capacitive electrode coated with adielectricum in an ear insert, placing the ear insert within an earcanal of a human subject, arranging at least one reference electrodecoated with a dielectricum in contact with the head of the subject,placing a processor adjacent the electrode of the subject, connectingthe electrodes to the processor, and using the processor to record andprocess the signals from the electrodes thereby monitoring the brainwaves.

The invention is pertinent for providing a wearable EEG monitor forlong-term continuous, non-invasive monitoring of a user with a minimumof use of extensive and complicated equipment, which may be used in anuncomplicated way in everyday life outside a clinical and a laboratoryenvironment, while obtaining high quality EEG responses from the user ofthe monitor.

The capacitive electrodes are connected to an amplifier foramplification of the EEG response and further to a signal processor, forinterpretation of the recorded EEG, and to a further storage means, forstoring the recorded EEG. The interpretation is based on advancedstatistic and machine learning techniques.

In the present context an electrode is meant to encompass a capacitiveelectrode, i.e. an electrode that does not require a galvanic contact,nor electrical current running between the electrode and the skin of theuser. Capacitive electrodes may be implemented in a ear insert forpicking up the EEG response through capacitive coupling to the skin ofthe ear canal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail in respect to thedrawings, where

FIG. 1 is an ear insert with capacitive electrodes for picking up an EEGresponse of the user.

FIG. 2 is an ear insert according to FIG. 1, further comprising a BTEdevice.

FIG. 3 is an ear insert having a preshaped inner tube comprisingelectrodes and a soft outer part.

FIG. 4 is an ear insert comprising several flanges with capacitiveelectrodes.

FIG. 5a is an electrode for use in an ear insert.

FIG. 5b is another electrode for use in an ear insert.

FIG. 5c is an ear insert comprising an electrode as shown in FIG. 5a or5 b.

FIG. 6a is a diagram of the operational amplifier and the capacitiveelectrode for picking up an EEG response.

FIG. 6b is an equivalence diagram of the amplifier in FIG. 6a ,determining the lower cut-off frequency.

FIG. 7 is an electrode with an operational amplifier and ananalogue-to-digital converter.

FIG. 8 is a graph depicting the 1/f noise for a traditional operationalamplifier versus an Auto Zero Amplifier, and the acceptable noise levelat 100 nV/√Hz.

FIG. 9 is an Auto Zero Amplifier (AZA) suitable for amplification of EEGsignals in a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is an example of the auto-zero amplifier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an ear insert 10, having capacitive electrodes 16. The earinsert comprises a ventilation channel 12, adapted to ensure that theear insert does not occlude the ear of the user. The ear insert furthercomprises an electronic module 17 connected to the capacitive electrodes16 for amplification of the EEG response. Furthermore, it may bebeneficial to have a microphone inlet 11, a microphone 13, a loudspeaker14 and a sound outlet 15 within the ear insert, to ensure that the useris able to hear sounds coming from the surroundings. The microphone andloudspeaker are connected to the electronic module 17. The electronicmodule may further have means for amplification of the sound.

In some situations, it is beneficial that the ear insert is adapted forcommunication with other devices, e.g. an ear insert at thecontralateral ear or a remote control. The ear insert therefore alsocomprises an antenna 18 and a radio transceiver (not shown) for wirelesscommunication. The antenna may be used for transmitting EEG recordingsmade at one ear insert to the contralateral ear insert, for enablingcomparing the EEG recording within the contralateral EEG recording. Thisis beneficial because synchronization of the recorded EEG from differentregions of the brain will enhance the statistical results.

FIG. 2 is an ear insert according to FIG. 1, having capacitiveelectrodes 16 and a sound outlet 15, and further comprising aBehind-The-Ear (BTE) device 24, adapted for accommodating furtherelectronics (not shown), a battery (not shown), and a digital signalprocessor (not shown). The BTE device 24 is connected to the ear insertvia electrical wires 21, however, the two units may also be adapted tocommunicate wirelessly. In the embodiment shown, there is a furthercapacitive pad electrode 23 connected via a wire 22, for placementadjacent to the pinna, or at a location farther from the ear. Suchexternal electrode may also be located at the housing of the BTE device24, to increase the performance, by increasing the distance between theelectrodes and by increasing the reliability.

FIG. 3 is an ear insert, having an inner tube 30 preshaped to match thelongitudinal shape of the ear canal and comprising capacitive electrodes16. The inner tube 30 is preshaped such that it fits the bends andcurves of the ear canal of the specific user, while having an outerdiameter of the inner tube smaller than the diameter of the ear canal.The ear insert further comprises a dielectric outer material 31, softerthan the rigid tube, of e.g. silicone, foam or rubber that enables theear insert to fit tight to the ear canal, without excessive pressure onthe skin. The electrodes 16 are mounted on the inner rigid tube,preferably at the fulcrums of the inner tube, i.e. the points of the earinsert, that support the insert the most and where the distance betweenthe electrode and the skin of the user is foreseen to be minimal andhereby most likely to create a close coupling to the skin through thedielectric material 31. The ear insert further comprises an outer part32 located at the concha of the user, where the electronic module 17 islocated. The electrodes are connected (not shown) to the electronicmodule for amplification and analysis of the EEG response picked up fromthe user.

FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the ear insert 40 with capacitiveelectrodes 16. The ear insert comprises a sound channel 41, forventilation and transmittal of sound to the ear drum of the user. Thesound channel 41 is rigid to always allow free passage in and out of theear canal. The sound channel 41 may vary in diameter, e.g. with bulges43, to shape the frequency response of the channel 41. The material 42surrounding the sound channel is flexible so as to conform to the shapeof the ear canal of the user. The ear insert has flanges or rimscomprising capacitive electrodes 16, the flanges extending outward fromthe sound channel. Upon insertion of the ear insert into the ear canal,the flanges bend backward towards the outside of the ear canal, wherebythe capacitive electrodes 16, including a dielectricum (not shown), areforced against the skin of the ear canal. Ensuring a minimal distancebetween the capacitive electrode 16 and the skin optimizes thecapacitive coupling between the electrode 16 and the skin. The flangesmay be circumferential or extend outward in several directionsperpendicular to the sound channel 41. In the circumferentialembodiment, each flange preferably comprises several electrodes spacedapart. The electronics may be located within the ear insert (not shown)or in a behind-the-ear device (not shown).

FIG. 5a shows an electrode 50 having a base plate 51 and an electrodesalient 52 protruding out from the base plate 51. The electrode 50substantially has the shape of a bowler.

FIG. 5b shows an elongate electrode 53, where an electrode salient 54 isprotruding out from the body of the electrode. Both the electrodesalient and the electrode body have an elongate shape. The advantage ofthe elongated electrode over the electrode of FIG. 5 a, is that theelongated electrode has a larger contact area, where it is in contactwith the skin and therefore has a higher capacitance than the bowler hattype electrode of FIG. 5 a.

FIG. 5c shows a cross section of an ear insert comprising an electrodeaccording to FIG. 5a or 5 b. The ear insert is made of an elasticmaterial, which is able to conform to the shape of the ear canal, butstill being resilient enough to create a sufficient force, to press theelectrode 50 out against the skin of the ear canal. The electrode isextending out through the ear insert. The pick-up salient of theelectrode, whether it is a bowler electrode or an elongate electrode, ispenetrating the material 55 of the ear insert, so as to extend outthrough the outer circumference of the ear insert, optimizing thedistance to the skin of the ear canal.

FIG. 6a shows two capacitive electrodes CE1 and CE2, an EEG generator 61and an operational amplifier block 59. The operational amplifier block59 amplifies the voltage difference between the two electrodes CE1 andCE2. By grounding one terminal of the amplifier, the amplifier isconnected as a single ended amplifier and the equivalent capacitance ofthe electrode C may be computed as the serial capacitance of the twoelectrodes CE1 and CE2 when placed on the skin of the user,

$C = {\frac{{CE}\; {1 \cdot {CE}}\; 2}{{{CE}\; 1} + {{CE}\; 2}}.}$

FIG. 6b is an electrical diagram of an amplifier connected to acapacitor C1, which is an equivalent of the two electrodes CE1 and CE2in series. The amplifier is part of the electronics module 17 of FIG. 1.The diagram comprises an EEG generator 61 which equivalents the EEGresponse of the user, the EEG response being coupled capacitively viathe capacitor C1, wherein the one electrode plate is the skin of theuser and the other electrode plate is the electrode plate of thecapacitive electrode. Between the electrode plate and the skin of theuser is a dielectricum, making the electrode couple capacitively to theskin. The block 65 is the electrical circuit for amplification of thesignal generated by the EEG generator 61. The capacitor C2 in parallelwith the electrode is approximately 1/10 of the capacitance of theelectrode C1, hereby creating a voltage divider of one to ten betweenthe two capacitors C1 and C2, in this way, approximately 10% of thevoltage from the EEG potential is distributed across the capacitor C1,whereby 90% is available for the operational amplifier 60. Reference 59designates the amplifier block, comprising the parasitic components C2and R and the amplifier 60. C2 and R may be chosen appropriately whendesigning the amplifier block 59.

The sizes of the electrode plates are limited due to the physical sizeof the ear canal and hereby the surface of the ear insert, consequentlythe capacitance of the electrode is limited, due to the small electrodecapacitance. The impedance of the amplifier should be kept high. Thefrequency characteristic of the matching circuit should present ahigh-pass filter having a cut off frequency of approximately 1 Hz.

The operational amplifier block 59 is a suitable low noise amplifier andis connected to each side of the EEG generator 61, i.e. an electrodepair to amplify the difference in potential between the two electrodes16 (ref. FIG. 1). In order to test the electrode 16, generator 62 can beenabled, generating a test signal at e.g. 30 Hz. A 30 Hz signal is abovetypical EEG signals of 1 to 10 Hz, and a 30 Hz test signal is thereforeeasily recognizable outside the EEG signal range. The response to thetest signal will give a clear indication of how well the electrodescouple to the skin. The capacitance of C1 depends on the actual sizes ofthe electrodes and the distances to the skin, i.e. the coupling willvary from user to user and from day to day, e.g. one day the distancebetween the electrode and the skin may be 0.4 mm, and the next day, thedistance may be 0.3 mm. The size and shape of the ear canal changes whenmoving the jaw, e.g. by chewing, but will in most cases be in the rangeof 1 to 10 pF. A suitable parallel capacitor is then 1/10 of C1 i.e. 100to 1000 fF.

FIG. 7 shows a number of electrodes 16, 75, connected to low noiseamplifier block 59 via a wire or lead 71 having a shield 72, forshielding the signal wire against interfering electrical coupling, andanalogue-to-digital converter (ADC) 73, converting the recorded EEG intodigital signals. The electrode 16 is connected to the low noiseamplifier (LNA) block 59 via a shielded cable such as a coax cablecomprising a signal line 71 and a shield 72. The amplifier is connectedto a reference electrode 75, to permit amplification of the EEG signalrelative to the reference signal from reference electrode 75. Theamplifier signal is transmitted to an analogue-to-digital converter 73.Several electrodes may be arranged with respective analogue-to-digitalconverters, the outputs from respective A/D converters being fed to thedigital signal processor as channel one, channel two and so forth. Theelectrode 16 further comprises a dielectric material 74 covering theelectrode 16 to ensure a capacitive coupling to the skin of the user.The shield 72 is coupled to the output of the LNA. By connecting theshield to the output of the amplifier, the shield has the same potentialas the signal wire and consequently there is no difference of potentialbetween the signal wire and the shield.

FIG. 8 shows the 1/f noise of a traditional operational amplifier 81 andof an Auto Zero Amplifier (AZA, to be explained in context with FIG. 10)82, together with the acceptable noise level 83 at around

$\frac{100{nV}}{\left. \sqrt{}{Hz} \right.}.$

AZA amplifiers are more suitable than traditional amplifiers, becauseAZA amplifiers have a lower noise level at low frequencies, where EEGsignals occur.

FIG. 9 shows an amplifier arrangement for a wearable EEG monitorcomprising an electrode 16 with a dielectric material 31 covering theelectrode 16, an AZA amplifier 82 connected to the electrode via a wire71, having a shield 72. The output from the AZA 82 is fed to ananalogue-to-digital converter (ADC) 73 and further fed back to the wireshield 72 via a sample-and-hold (S&H) circuit 91, to generate thepotential to the shield 72, whereby the shield obtains the same signalpotential as the input at electrode 16 and wire 71. The sample & holdcircuit, also known as a follow & hold or track & hold circuit, capturesthe voltage of the output from the AZA and freezes its value to theoutput. By matching the two potentials, there is no, or minimal, voltagebetween the wire and the shield, and the capacitive effect between thesignal wire and the shield is hereby minimized. The switches 92 and 93and clock input 94 are synchronized and controlled by a clock generator(not shown). Reference 95 designates a chip pad for connecting theamplifier, which is part of a more complex chip design, to theelectrode.

FIG. 10 shows an example of an Auto-Zero Amplifier. It operates in twophases: a zero phase (S1 and S2 are on) and an amplification phase (S1and S2 are off). The gain is one and has an equivalent input impedancewhich is related to the switching frequency of S1 and S2 and the inputcapacitance of the amplifier. We may choose a switching frequency,f_(s)=200 Hz. Looking at signals in the range of 1-10 Hz or 1-20 Hz, a200 Hz switching frequency is adequate according to the Nyquist theorem.Suitable amplifiers can be designed having an input capacitance ofC_(in)=100 fF. This results in:

$R = {\frac{1}{C_{in}f_{S}} = {\frac{1}{100 \cdot 10^{- 15} \cdot 200} = {50G\; \Omega}}}$

The cut off frequency, f_(n), of the system can be found according toFIG. 6 b. In this figure, R represents the input impedance of theamplifier, C2 is the capacitance of the input pad and various parasiticcapacitances, and C1 is the electrode capacitance. Below C2 is set to500 fF.

$f_{n} = {\frac{1}{2\pi \; {R\left( {C_{electrode} + C_{pad}} \right)}} = {\frac{1}{\begin{matrix}{2{\pi \cdot 50 \cdot 10^{- 9}}\left( {6.5 \cdot} \right.} \\\left. {10^{- 12} + {0.5 \cdot 10^{- 12}}} \right)\end{matrix}} = {0.45\mspace{14mu} {Hz}}}}$

This gives a noise corner frequency of 0.45 Hz, i.e. well below thefrequency for recording EEG, usually in the range 1 to 10 Hz.

Due to C1 and C2, the voltage at the input of the low noise amplifier is93% of the EEG voltage for frequencies above 1 Hz.

The dielectricum ensures that no current is running in the crossoverbetween the skin and the electrode, however it should also be as thin aspossible, because the capacitance is inversely proportional to thedistance between the electrodes,

${C = \frac{A*ɛ}{d}},$

where C is the capacitance, A is the area, ε is the dielectric constantof the dielectric material, and d is the distance between the electrodeand the skin. The dielectricum may be chosen among a number of differentmaterials, such as silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, polyamide (nylon),PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon), etc.

The size of the electrodes is a trade off between the option to fitseveral electrodes within a confined space, and the capacitance of theelectrode, which is proportional to the area, pointing to largeelectrode sizes. A preferable size is between 5 mm² and 100 mm². Theelectrode may be flexible but is preferably preshaped in a double curvedshape to best fit the area of the ear, where it is to be placed. Themonitoring device has several electrodes, where each one of them mayhave an individual shape, to best fit that particular area, where it issupposed to fit the user.

The ear insert may have many different shapes, the common goal for allshapes being, to have an ear insert that gives a close fit to the user'sskin and is comfortable to wear, meaning that it should occlude the earas little as possible.

In one embodiment the ear insert has a customized shape for the earcanal of the user. The ear insert is a hollow shell and is made for thespecific ear canal according to an imprint of the ear canal. Theelectrodes may be mounted on the inside or outside of the hollow shell.If mounted on the inside of the shell, the shell itself may besufficient dielectric to ensure pure capacitive coupling. Furthermoremounting the electrodes on the inside of a shell makes wiring of theelectronic easier, than does outside mounting of the electrodes.

In another embodiment, the ear insert comprises a pipe, where theelectrodes may be mounted on the inner or outer circumference of thepipe. The pipe is made in different diameters, as to best fit thediameter of the ear canal. The pipe can also be shaped to fit the shapeof the ear canal in the longitudinal direction. On the outercircumference the pipe is covered with a soft and flexible material likesilicone, foam, rubber or another soft material that ensures a secureand comfortable fit for the user.

In another embodiment, the ear insert is in the form of a stent. Stentshave the advantage that they are flexible, in the way that they can beinserted into the ear canal in a contracted state, and then released toform a close fitting ear insert. The stent may be a self-expandingmetallic stent, which is covered by a dielectricum and hereby form acapacitive electrode, which can be connected to the amplifier and signalprocessor.

A particular problem with amplifiers for EEG monitoring devices is thelow frequency noise of the amplifier, also known as the 1/f noise. EEGsignals are low frequency, i.e. typically 1 to 10 Hz, however the noiseof typical amplifiers is very high at low frequencies, i.e. with a noisecorner frequency in the range at or above 100 Hz or even between 1 to 2kHz for high speed amplifiers, making these amplifiers unsuitable as EEGsignal amplifier. This problem is usually solved by using largetransistors having large capacitors at the input of the operationalamplifier, but increasing the capacitor size also increases the powerconsumption of the amplifier. This is however not an option when thewhole system has to be carried at or in the ear, and powered by a smallbattery as known from the hearing aid industry. To keep the powerconsumption low, it is proposed to use an auto-zero-amplifier or achopper-stabilized amplifier to amplify the EEG recording.

The electrodes picking up the EEG response of the user are connected toan amplifier, feeding an analogue-to-digital converter, after which thesignal is handled by a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The connectionbetween the electrode and the amplifier is preferably via a shieldedwire such as a coax cable. The shield is floating at the electrode end,while the shield is connected to the output of the amplifier at theamplifier end. By connecting the shield to the amplifier output, thepotential of the shield is kept high whereby the capacitive couplingbetween the signal wire and the shield is minimized. In a preferredembodiment, the shield is connected to the operational amplifier via a“sample & hold” amplifier for generating a voltage potential to theshield.

An ear insert according to the proposed invention may be used forcontinuous monitoring of EEG signals indicative of a medical seizurelike hypoglycemia, epilepsy, or similar conditions. The device is usedto foresee a seizure by analyzing the EEG signal by a digital signalprocessor, and notify the user in case the analyzed signal indicates animpending seizure. The signal processor is continuously evaluating theEEG recording with statistical data analysis and machine learningmethods.

The signal processor, power supply, microphone, loudspeaker etc. may belocated at the ear insert or at a behind-the-ear (BTE) part. Whetherthese parts are located at the ear insert or in the BTE part depends onthe size and shape of the ear canal i.e. whether the ear insert is largeenough for accommodating all components.

We claim:
 1. A method of monitoring brain waves comprising: arranging acapacitive electrode coated with a dielectricum in an ear insert,placing the ear insert within an ear canal of a human subject, arrangingat least one reference electrode coated with a dielectricum in contactwith the head of the subject, placing a processor adjacent the electrodeof the subject, connecting the electrodes to the processor, wherein atleast one of said electrodes is connected to said processor via aconnection comprising a signal wire and a shield, and wherein asample-and-hold circuit holds a potential of the shield close to apotential of the signal wire, and using the processor to record andprocess the signals from the electrodes thereby monitoring the brainwaves.